Escape the crowds and traffic on a road trip in Bali’s lesser-known west coast

BALI – Southern Bali’s tourism hot spots attract the lion’s share of the approximately 15 million holidaymakers who visit the island every year. It has been so heavily impacted by the post-pandemic travel boom that the island now holds pole position on the 2025 edition of Fodor’s No List, a yearly round-up of destinations struggling under the pressure of overtourism.

“Once-pristine beaches like Kuta and Seminyak are now buried under piles of trash, with local waste management systems struggling to keep up,” wrote the US-headquartered travel guide publisher.